Trader Joe’s and CRF Frozen Foods issued a recall Tuesday after the frozen vegetable supplier alerted the grocery chain that some products could be contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes. The chain was the most prominent member of the suppliers or brands affected by the contamination at the CRF Frozen Foods plant. The FDA released a statement saying that CRF Frozen Foods fully cooperated after discovering the contamination.
The manufacturing process could have been contaminated since as early as May 1, 2014. Products with sell-by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018 are included in the recall. CRF Frozen Foods recall encompasses 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands, a more detailed list of which can be seen here.
Trader Joe’s said that any of the following whose lot designation contains the code “BF” could be subject to contamination:
Trader Joe's Organic Peas (SKU/Barcode 00496636)
Trader Joe's Petite Peas (SKU/Barcode 00122689)
Trader Joe's Organic Whole Green Beans (SKU/Barcode 00169219)
Trader Joe's Broccoli Florettes (SKU/Barcode 00542784)
Trader Joe's Organic Foursome (SKU/Barcode 00908672)
“Out of an abundance of caution, all products from this supplier have been removed from store shelves,” the grocery store said in a release. “If you purchased any of the affected vegetable products with the "BF" code, please do not eat them. We urge you to discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe's for a full refund.”
Listeria monocytogenes are potentially very serious.
“The organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the FDA said in the release. “Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.”
The CDC says that it has identified seven people in three states whose Listeria infection forced hospitalization. Though two of those people died, their causes of death were not Listeria.
Trader Joe’s posted its Customer Relations number, (626) 599-3817, or asked that concerned customers email them. CRF Frozen Foods may be called at 844-483-3866, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.
The full Trader Joe’s release is available here. The full FDA release, including a list of contaminated CRF products, is available here.
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